The weather finally decided to cooperate with and bring in a nice Fall breeze. What perfect timing because tomorrow is National Gumbo Day!

If you find yourself craving some Creole Gumbo, come swing by the restaurant for our seasonal selection (Seafood, Duck & Andouille, or YaYa). If you need a large batch to watch the game or have a family gathering to plan for, we have the recipe just for you!

Brennan’s of Houston Seafood Gumbo

Creole Seafood Gumbo

YIELD

5 Quarts

INGREDIENTS

o 1 1/2 to 2 pounds large hard-shell crabs

o 3/4 cup canola oil

o 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour

o 3 medium yellow onions, medium dice

o 1 bunch of celery, medium dice

o 4 medium green bell peppers, medium dice

o 2 tablespoons minced garlic

o 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

o Pinch each of dried oregano, basil and thyme

o 4 large bay leaves

o Salt and freshly ground pepper

o 1 pound okra; sliced 1/4 inch thick

o 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

o 3 quarts stock ( fish, shrimp, or crab) or water

o 1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

o 1 quart shucked oysters, in their liquor

o 1 pound Jumbo lump Crabmeat

o 8 cups cooked white rice, for serving

o Louisiana hot sauce & Worcestershire to taste

o 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

o File powder

INSTRUCTIONS

Remove the top shells of the crabs along with the deadmen (gills) and discard. Crack the crabs in half, reserve.

Heat the oil in a large 8 qt Dutch oven until smoking, about 5 minutes.

Gradually add the flour and cook over high heat, stirring constantly until the roux is the color of milk chocolate, 3 to 5 minutes; Being careful not to burn.

Add the garlic, onions, bell pepper and celery and cook for 5 minutes until wilted.

Swift Single Malt Texas Whiskey captures authentic Scottish whisky making traditions and brings them home to Texas. At their distillery in Dripping Springs, Texas, Amanda and Nick Swift use 100% Scottish malted barley twice distilled in copper post stills. Their newest expression is a Non-Chilled Filtered spirit aged in Kentucky Bourbon barrels and finished in French Sauternes Casks. The resulting whiskey is rich and elegant

with hints of spiced vanilla, lemon curd, honeysuckle, and buttery caramel. Come by the Courtyard Bar and enjoy a dram of this new Texas made star.

While some people are unabashedly yelling about how Millennials have officially ruined brunch, we say it’s doing just fine over in Houston. Want some proof? Keep reading, friend. Each brunch we’ve selected is plenty boozy, but the real kicker is every one has an unquestionably good menu and atmosphere. Brunch is far from ruined.

HUGO’S & CARACOL & XOCHI

On Sundays, Hugo Ortega’s trifecta of heavy-hitters offers up insanely good interior Mexican (Hugo’s), coastal Mexican (Caracol) and Oaxacan (Xochi) brunch buffets that are worth every single one of the 3,000+ pennies you spent on it. Sure, you could go Saturday and order a la carte, but then you couldn’t refill your plate with all the ceviches, chilaquiles, rellenos, tamales, crudos, camarones, carnitas, tres leches, and churros that you possibly can before your pants spontaneously combust.

MAX’S WINE DIVE

It’s hard to say no to the question “Want some fried chicken and Champagne?” Thankfully, MWD has two locations at which you can say yes. If you’re all about chicken, get it in a honey-butter Benedict, atop jalapeño buttermilk waffles, or in a salad with applewood-smoked bacon and Champagne dressing. Max’s also makes what may be the best fried egg sandwich in town: a colossal creation of three fried eggs, bacon, a blend of Parmesan, Gruyère, provolone, and white Cheddar cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and black truffle aioli on buttery griddled sourdough bread. Get it with a side of chicken thigh.

BACKSTREET CAFE

An advance reservation is an advisable (if not required) move for this bistro and garden. The offerings include morning items like killer migas and brioche French toast, plus more lunch appropriate things like wood-grilled local shrimp & grits and short rib risotto. Go for a dish off the seasonal menu, a pan of fresh-baked buttermilk biscuits to share, and a couple of expertly crafted cocktails to “cure” your hangover.

WEIGHTS + MEASURES

Excellent locally roasted coffee & espresso + full bar + in-house bake lab = the best brunch of your life. Bring your late-morning A game to this cool-kids spot, lest you want to be in the back of someone’s Snapchat looking like Gollum while you smash things like house-smoked salmon & truffled eggs, fried chicken & cake donuts, and cracked egg pizza.

HOLLEY’S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT & OYSTER BAR

If you don’t order seafood at brunch, you’re doing it wrong. If you do, you now have one more reason to wipe last night’s pizza off your chin and get your life together by 2pm. East Coast and local Gulf oysters on the half shell; sorghum-glazed shrimp & pickled serrano-boursin grits; and non-seafood items like roasted pork debris eggs Benedict are all part of the mid-morning to late-afternoon fun. (So are smoked Bloody Marys, by the way.)

BRENNAN’S

There are times when brunch calls for cheap Champagne and literally anything that includes bacon, and then there are times when brunch calls for a ballin’ three-course feast that makes you feel like you own an oil company. That’s where this jazzy (no, for real, there’s a jazz band) NOLA classic comes in. But you don’t have to own an actual oil company to afford it. Seasonal riffs on creole dishes commingle with Southern staples like eggs Brennan, shrimp & grits, and whiskey-lacquered quail, all of which you’ll want to pair with Marys, punches, and fizzes. If you have a few extra monies to get rid of, add on the crazy seafood tower; then invite us next time.

BEAVER’S

When you need something completely gluttonous to rock you out of last night’s poor life choices, this super-cool icehouse is where you go. The Squealin’ Mary — made with bacon-infused vodka, a bacon sugar-salt rim, and candied bacon accoutrement — is a damn good place to start. So do that, then get into the seriously excellent mix of brunchy and non-brunchy eats, like the house chorizo & cheddar-stuffed poppers, BBQ brisket breakfast burritos, seafood mac, duck pastrami Reubens, and a bunch of other equally enticing stuff.

DOWN HOUSE

This cozy neighborhood spot is the kind of place where you can bring your girlfriend or your grandma… that is, if your grandma likes crushing Bloody Marys with beer and burgers with duck eggs & kimchi. OK, maybe just bring your girlfriend here.

STATE OF GRACE

When you can order a brunch based entirely off starters, you can consider the place a win. Ford Fry’s globally and coastally inspired modern lodge is just that. Assuming you have friends, bring some so you can split warm sticky buns, country ham deviled eggs, and grilled Gulf oysters. The main event runs the gamut, from huevos divorciados to a gorgeous Dutch baby pancake baked in the hearth. Some “rodeo” milk punch and an expertly prepared house Bloody Mary ensure you finish the meal out like the rock star you are.

BRASSERIE 19

The best part about this trendy River Oaks date spot — besides the excellent French press coffee, badass Champagne selection, and stellar fare — is that you can feel like you’re brunching in Paris without having to deal with actual French people. The worst part is deciding between the crêpes and the filet mignon au poivre. Either is great with Champagne, so… get both?

KITCHEN 713

It’s all about Southern comfort at this soul food kitchen… with a global smooch, of course. After shuttering its East End location, Kitchen 713 moved into a bigger and better space, and got a liquor license. Hit Saturday and Sunday brunch for house-cured salmon hoe cakes kissed with za’atar, Thai jewel omelets, and fried chicken & biscuits with a side of eye-opening beverages, like the charred grapefruit paloma or a fig and bacon-infused bourbon number.

ELOISE NICHOLS GRILL & LIQUORS

If you want a cozy brunch where you can enjoy a conversation and coffee, put this Adair family neophyte on your radar. It sits right between two shopping meccas, Highland Village and River Oaks District, making it perfect for a mid-afternoon break. Get smothered biscuits & gravy, smoked salmon and avocado toast, or “brunch up” a burger with bacon, eggs, and Hollandaise. Then tack on mimosas by the pitcher or hit the fully-loaded bloody mary cart.

FIELD & TIDES

F.E.E.D. TX and Liberty Kitchen alum Travis Lenig debuted his own concept to great fanfare. Start with a Corpse Reviver or mimosa tasting flight while you dig into seasonal, locally sourced meals that are as fresh as they are downright satisfying. We’re talking sloppy sandwiches, burgers with belly bacon, buttermilk biscuit stacks, and pimento cheese fritters. Oh yeah, we said fresh… there’s stuff like local greens and roasted beets, too.

SNOOZE, AN A.M. EATERY

With one location in Montrose and a few more planned, this Denver-born chain is taking Houston by storm. Despite being open since the summer of 2016, the Montrose location has an out-the-door line week-after-week — but at least there’s free Boomtown coffee while you wait. Locals flock for cheap pancake flights and hollandaise-coated everything, from eggs Benny to corned beef hash. Drinks are equally as enticing, with morning concoctions like the Bangkok bloody mary (with Sriracha and fish sauce) and the Snoozed Fashioned (a coffee and whiskey mix). The best part? You can unofficially “brunch” seven days a week.

Amaretto Di Saronno, now known as Disaronno Originale, has been delighting cocktail connoisseurs for 490 years. For the first time since the Italian liqueur was created in 1525, the company has introduced a new expression of Disaronno.

Riserva is a combination of the essence of Disaronno & blended Scotch whisky. It has been aged in vintage Sicilian wine barrels & registers in at 80 Proof with a spicy sweetness & a light vanilla-almond flavor.

Just 10,000 bottles of Disaronno Riserva have been produced & Brennan’s of Houston has one.

We are rolling closer and closer to the big GAME DAY! Dips have always been a party favorite for any game-day snack. Chef Danny shares his Creole Red Bean Dip recipe for those looking for a quick and easy bite for a Super Bowl party or to add to an for an ultimate 7-Layer Dip.

Creole Red Bean Dip

Services 10

Ingredients:

2 each – 14.5 oz Can Red Kidney Beans

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, Finely Diced

1 Tablespoon Garlic, Crushed

2 Large Jalapenos, Small Diced

1 Bell Pepper, Finely Diced

2 Tablespoons Creole Seasoning

2 Tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire

12 oz. Andouille or Smoked Sausage, Small Diced

1 Lime, Juiced

1/4 pound Cream Cheese

Salt and Black Pepper to TAste

2 Bay Leaves

Method:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil, sausage, and garlic. Cook stirring often until sausage is browned. Add onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and Bay Leaves. Cook until vegetables are translucent. Add red beans with their liquid, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and Creole seasoning. Cook the mixture until beans are soft and most of the liquid has dissipated, about 8 minutes.

Remove from heat. When red bean mixture has cooled, remove bay leaves. Blend in a food processor along with lime juice and cream cheese until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The dip can be service warm, chilled or at room temperature with your favorite dipping chips.

I often say Champagne was my first love. It is what I first got excited aboutin wine. For a long time I thought about Champagne as this romantic faraway place (because it’s on the other side of the world from me) where the juice of the Gods is made. When I made the trip across the ocean it was that place except really cold, rainy and dreary while I was there. After visiting some classic producers I made my way to the village of Les Mesnil Sur Oger. I was lucky enough to find myselfin the cellar of Pierre Peters. The wine maker Rudolph Peters sat down with me and tasted for the 3 hours. We opened his family wines going back to 1970’s, it was incredible.

When I made the trip across the ocean it was that place except really cold, rainy and dreary while I was there. After visiting some classic producers I made my way to the village of Les Mesnil Sur Oger. I was lucky enough to find myself in the cellar of Pierre Peters. The wine maker Rudolph Peters sat down with me and tasted for the 3 hours. We opened his family wines going back to 1970’s, it was incredible.

Every time I feel the need to drink something a little epic, I open a bottle of his Cuvee Speciale LES CHETILLONS Blanc de Blanc-Grand Cru. It is a powerful and complex wine that gives aromatics of apricot, honey, white flower. Like all great wine, it seems to taste better with good company!

The Ramos Gin Fizz has a long and illustrious Southern history. Originally known as a “New Orleans Fizz,” this luxurious concoction was created by Henry C. Ramos in New Orleans in the late nineteenth century at the Imperial Cabinet Bar. The drink became so popular that Ramos had to employee dozens of “shaker boys” since the drink had an excessively long preparation time of 12 minutes.

Louisiana Governor Huey P. Long’s fondness for the drink led him to bring Sam Guarino, a bartender from the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, to the New Yorker Hotel in New York City to teach its staff how to make the drink. Long could then enjoy his favorite libation even in “Yankee territory.”

Our fellow bartenders in New Orleans shudder when we tell them that Texans like their Ramos Gin Fizzes with a little more orange sweetness. Over the years Brennan’s of Houston added half an ounce of orange liqueur (Triple Sec, etc.) to the drink.

Brennan’s of Houston was closed for a year & a half after suffering a major fire during Hurricane Ike in 2008. When we reopened on Mardi Gras 2010 (naturally), we tried to go back to the original NOLA recipe. Our faithful guests immediately cried foul so we still make the pre-fire Texas Ramos Gin Fizz.

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice & shake like the Devil to make the egg whites frothy. Strain into a chilled rocks glass. Some people like there Ramos topped with club soda, but in Texas we see no reason to “water down” a great drink!

If you’re like most families, you WILL have some leftover turkey and need ideas on how to repurpose it other than the classic leftover Thanksgiving Sandwich. Here is a fan favorite and…did we mention it only takes one pot!

Brennan’s of Houston Named One of the 100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America; Wins 2016 OpenTable Award

Egg St. Charles

Brennan’s of Houston is pleased to announce that we’ve been named one of the 100 Best Brunch Restaurants in America for 2016 by OpenTable Diners. Determined by more than 5 million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners over the last year, the 2016 Best Brunch list honorees each bested more than 20,000 restaurants.

Wedding planning can certainly be stressful and a simple way to reduce stress is to use one of Houston’s finest restaurants as your venue. Hosting a wedding at a restaurant is great option as a restaurant can handle the ceremony and reception, providing food, tables, and chairs — all under one roof.

To help you find the right spot for the big day, we’ve rounded up the ideal restaurants for hosting the perfect wedding.

As one of the city’s most historic restaurants, Brennan’s of Houston provides a lovely setting for a wedding ceremony and reception in the 1930s building designed by John Staub. Surrounded by oak trees, palms and ivy, the red brick courtyard would be ideal for a spring wedding and can accommodate up to 100 guests.

The ballroom — great for a reception as it can seat up to 150 guests — provides a sense of Southern luxury with chandeliers and vaulted ceilings. Brennan’s modern take on Louisiana cuisine is sure to please everyone and the restaurant offers dozens of hors d’oeurve and seated dinner options, including crab cakes and their signature banana’s foster.

As a long-time favorite of the city’s elite, Tony’s offers a luxurious, contemporary setting for a beautiful wedding ceremony. The restaurant offers plenty of venue options depending on the size of the guest list. The airy main dining room, walls replete with master artworks, seats as many 300 guests while the San Remo room can seat up to 100 and the Wine Cellar provides the perfect intimate setting for up to 60 people.

Known for their exquisite updated Italian cuisine — including favorites like the flaming red snapper or raviolo di manzo filled with braised short ribs — a seated reception at Tony’s would impress anyone lucky enough to be invited.

The Grand Ballroom — also known as La Grand Salon — at the boutique hotel La Colombe d’Or has long been considered to be one of the city’s premier wedding venues. Lined with 300-year-old panels from the country chateau of La Comtesse Greffulhe, as well as resplendent chandeliers, the Grand Ballroom evokes a sense of a bygone era of European royalty and splendor. The venue can accommodate hundreds of guests and is large enough to host both the ceremony and reception.

Cinq, the restaurant at La Colombe d’Or, is known for its updated take on classic French cuisine with dishes like lobster bisque with crispy crawfish tails and cedar smoked duck. An added benefit to using the hotel as a wedding venue is that the most important guests can stay on site in one of the five art-filled suites.

There are few destinations in Houston that can provide as romantic a setting for a ceremony as Rainbow Lodge, with its beautiful log structure overlooking an acre of bucolic grounds and a bubbling creek. The entire restaurant, while not large, is big enough to accommodate a more intimate wedding (around 100 people) for an outdoor ceremony and a seated reception inside.

Rainbow Lodge is known for its Southern-inspired cuisine, with hors d’oeurve options like fried Texas quail bites with bourbon gravy and entree choices such as rainbow trout with lump crab and pecan brown butter.

This long-time River Oaks restaurant with a distinctly upscale Southern feel features a lovely garden, called The Bear’s Nest, that can accommodate a cozy outdoor wedding.

In terms of spaces for the reception, Ouisie’s main dining room can seat up to 135 seated guests, and Lucy’s Porch, which faces the garden, can accommodate up to 95.

The restaurant’s fine dining take on down-home cooking includes passed hors d’oeurves like chicken fried steak on a biscuit to shrimp quesadillas and seated entrees such as crispy red snapper and grilled buffalo tenderloin.

A picturesque gazebo in the large, grassy field overlooking Buffalo Bayou provides the perfect pastoral setting for an outdoor wedding ceremony.

For the reception, The Loft Room at Brenner’s accommodates up to 54 seated guests and includes a fireplace and private balcony. For a spring wedding, the Blue Bar — an outdoor lounge with a verdant view of the bayou — accommodates 100 seated guests or 120 for a cocktail reception.

The steakhouse menu includes dozens of passed hors d’oeurves like mini jumbo lump crab cakes and bacon-wrapped quail breasts, as well as entrees like their famous filet mignon and Gulf red snapper.